Toilet flushing apparatus



June 23, 1970 C A' REAGAN TOILET FLUSHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,Filed Feb. 20. 1968 INVENTOR. C/eo 'eagazz United States Patent O 3,516,094 TOILET FLUSHING APPARATUS Cleo A. Reagan, Frankfort, Ind., assigner to The Indiana Brass Co., Inc., Frankfort, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Feb. 20, 1968, Ser. No. 706,952 Int. Cl. E03d I/36 U.S. Cl. 4-41 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a preferred form, the present invention relates to toilet bowl washing apparatus wherein water is provided for washing the rim of the toilet bowl between the time ow starts to refill the tank and the time when the tank is completely filled. The subject toilet bowl washing apparatus has only one moving part which is a slidable valve and only water in excess of that needed to fill the tank is utilized to wash the rim of the toilet bowl. The subject invention incorporates a husher tube having a variable volume outlet and additionally includes anti- Siphon means disposed in the system so that all the water going past the inlet valve passes through the anti-Siphon means.

The present invention relates to water fiow control means and, more particularly, to apparatus for controlling the water flow to a toilet bowl for cleaning thereof.

In an apparatus used for providing water to clean the toilet bowl, it is important that the base portion of the bowl be initially cleaned and, at sometime before water is shut off to the tank while refilling, the toilet bowl rim gets flushed. lt is desirable that the tank filling take a minimum of time due to objectionable noise associated therewith and other factors including the amount of water being used so that it is desirable to wash the rim of the toilet bowl simultaneously with filling the tank. The problems in the prior art have been that too much water has been wasted down the drain while refilling and simultaneously washing the rim. Some prior art sysems have shown two ball cocks in the tank, one used to operate the rim wash and the other for the tank refill. There have also been water pumps to use the water in the tank to wash the rim. Due to the multiplicity of parts in the prior art systems and other factors, the systems taught therein have never come into wide usage.

The present invention contemplates toilet bowl washing apparatus that includes a tank for storing toilet bowl flushing water, a valve connected between the water inlet and the tank, and further a water distribution means in fiuid communication with the valve having outlets to the tank and to the toilet bowl, the outlet to the tank being restricted relative to the amount of water input to the Water distribution means so that the tank is filled at a controllable rate with the excess of water needed to fill the tank at this rate going over a dam separator which communicates with the rim of a toilet bowl. In this manner, the rim wash is accomplished between the time the valve first opens and finally closes. This is desirable from the standpoint of having all of the water flowing during the time that the tank is being refilled and also insures that the valve closes in response to the level in the tank and not to the water washing the rim of the toilet bowl. The advantageof the latter is that, if the valve should leak after a prolonged period of usage, the leaking water would not run in the toilet bowl but would vbe used to refill the tank and can be controllably discharged therefrom when the desired level therein is exceeded.

Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved toilet bowl washing apparatus which incorporates toilet bowl rim Washing means functioning during the time that the water closet is being refilled after a fiushing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide improved toilet bowl washing apparatus wherein the first water passing through an inlet valve is utilized to fill the water closet and the last water passing the valve is also used to fill the water closet, the rim wash being completed during the time period wherein the water closet is being refilled after a flushing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved toilet bowl washing apparatus having only one moving part and utilizing flow control means to determine when the rim wash water starts flowing and when the vrim wash water stops flowing.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide improved toilet bowl washing apparatus wherein a vacuum breaker is provided to prevent siphonage from the water closet tank or the bowl when water pressure is lost and a leaky valve is encountered.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional View of a water closet showing conventional water control apparatus for flushing a toilet with the subject invention shown in its operative environment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of the valve control mechanism seen in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, toilet bowl washing apparatus is disclosed as generally comprising a tank 10 for storing toilet bowl fiushing water and valve means 12 connected to a water inlet line 13 to the tank or water closet 10. Additionally, water distribution means, generally designated by numeral 14, has outlets 16 to tank 10 and outlet 18 to the rim of the toilet bowl, the outlet to the tank being restricted in a manner to be hereinafter described relative to the amount of water input to said water distribution means. Outlet 16 is sometimes referred to herein as a husher tube.

Referring to FIG. 2, said water distribution means further includes a discharge chamber 20 having a dam separator 22 defining the inlet portion 22a of a rim washing outlet passage 22b for selectively allowing an excess of water to said chamber to flow over the dam 22 through passage 22]; to the rim of the toilet bowl, not shown, when the downward fiow of water to the restricted outlet 16 to the tank exceeds the capacity of the outlet to discharge the water. Portion 82 marks the inlet to chamber 20 and all water from the water source passes portion 82. Dam separator 22 projects upwardly in chamber 20 to a point higher in elevation than portion 82 insuring that no casual water fiow is had to pipe 65. Vacuum breaker means, which is an anti-Siphon device and generally designatedby the numeral 17, is integrally formed with the water distribution means 14 and is positioned downstream from the valve means 12 to allow free water movement in a first direction which is the direction going either toward the bowl or toward the tank Linder conditions of positive fluid pressurization and is adapted to draw air thereinto under conditions of negative pressurization thereby preventing water flow from the tank or from the bowl in the opposite direction. A condition of negative pressurization can occur when water pressure at the source is lost. A typical house water supply system with the water head falling draws a negative pressure throughout the system creating a tendency to draw water from the tank or from the bowl. Safety and health regulations require an anti-Siphon mechanism or, in this case, mechanism referred to as vacuum breaker means to prevent this from occurring.

Referring to FIG. 1, the toilet bowl flushing apparatus disclosed herein is of a well-known type wherein a flushing action is generated by the counterclockwise rotation of handle 24 which acts through link 26 to lift oat valve 28 from its seat on outlet 30 to the base of the toilet bowl, not shown. Water level 32 recedcs as the water rushes through outlet 30 allowing both float ball 34 and float valve 28 to move downwardly in tank 10. Arm 36 pivots at point 38 further acting through link 40 to draw valve operator 42 downwardly around point 44.

Referring to FIG. 3, as link 42 goes downwardly, point 44 acts as the fulcrum point with link 42 pivoting therearound lifting the opposite portion of link 42 that is shown as engaging slide valve 46 drawing slide valve 46 upwardly to allow water from inlet 13 to pass renewable valve seat 48. Valve seat 48 is seen in FIG. 2 as threadingly engaging inlet 13 and presents a frustoconical portion 49 against which resilient washer 51 of slide valve 46 seats. In this manner, valve means 12 carried in inlet means 13 selectively controls water communication from the inlet to the water distribution means 14.

Valve means 12 includes a slide valve member 46 which is piloted in insert 52 threadingly engaging a ball cock housing 54. Housing 54, in turn, threadingly engages the outlet end of supply tube or pipe member 56, the inlet end of which is connected with a portion of inlet 13. Seals 58 and 60 are carried on slide valve member 46 and engage the interior bore of insert 52 to prevent water from escaping to the tank without going through the vacuum breaker means 17. Valve member 46 is, therefore, seen as being translationally slidable in said tank inlet from a position of rest on seat 48, said seat 48 being a separate element from housing 54 of the tank inlet so that if excessive wear occurs on said seat, another seat can be inserted to restore optimum sealing of said slidable valve member 46 relative to the seat 48.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is seen that separator dam 22 is integrally formed witth the vacuum breaker housing 62 and is offset with respect to the inlet passage 64 to the discharge chamber so that no part of the stream of water through the inlet can bypass husher tube 16 and reach pipe 65 to the second tank outlet 18, thereby assuring the fact that the rst water through the valve means 12 reaches the tank and the last water through the valve means 12 reaches the tank. This guarantees that the closing of the valve means 12 is brought about when the tank is filled. Obviously, therefore, all of the water that goes to the second tank outlet 18, being the rim ushing outlet, is the excess water that cannot pass through outlet 16 to the tank because of the setting thereof. This water ow directing is controlled by the inclination and height of separator 22 relative to portion 82 of inlet passage 64.

The outlet 16 from the water distribution means 14 to the tank includes a rotatable member 66 having apertures 68 therein forming an outlet from a variable volume chamber 70 to vary the volume of water that can be discharged to the tank 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is also seen that dam separator 22 is tilted at an obtuse angle with respect to the normal water flow direction, indicated by the arrow, to facilitate water ow in the direction of outlet 16 while forming an acute angle with respect to the back siphonage direction.

A typical operating cycle is begun by the counterclockwise rotation of handle 24, as seen in FIG. 1. Link 26 is likewise drawn in a counterclockwise direction which lifts oat valve 28 from its seat on outlet 30. Water in the tank 10 will, therefore, rush to outlet 30 which is the normal toilet bowl ushing inlet. As the water rushes 4 through outlet 30, water level 32 drops allowing oat valve 34 also lto drop. The water pressure from the level 32 creates a head which normally keeps float valve 28 on its seat; however, when float valve 28 is lifted, it has suicient buoyancy that it will not immediately return to its seat and will tend to float along with float ball 34. Both float valve 28 and oat ball 34 follow water level 32 until the tank 10 is substantially drained.

Referring to FIG. 1, it is seen that as oat ball 34 drops, arm 36 pivots around point 38 and acts through links 40 and 42 to draw slide valve 46 upwardly as viewed in FIG. 2. When slidevalve 46 moves upwardly, resilient washer 51 lifts from seat 48 allowing water from inlet 13 to enter a vacuum breaker housing 62 at point 72, or the outlet of housing 54. Water then rushes -past point 72 into vacuum breaker means 17.

Vacuum breaker means 17 includes a flow chamber 74 formed in the vacuum breaker housing 62 and connected with the outlet point 72 of ball cock housing 54 by a supply passage 72a having a portion 72b extending upwardly into communication with ow chamber 74. A cap 77 having vent openings air inlets 76 forms a wall of the ow chamber. The vacuum breaker means further includes flexible means 78 carried in the chamber and deflectable in response to relative pressure thereon to selectively pass water -from said valve means 12 to chamber 20 while deflecting under conditions of negative pressure in the flow chamber 74 to open the valve chamber to the atmosphere through the air inlets 76 preventing reverse `water flow therethrough from the tank or the toilet bowl.

With positive water pressure entering housing 62 from valve means 12, the flexible means 78 will move from a position away from cap 77 to the position shown in FIG. 2 blocking off the outlets 76 to the atmosphere and allowing water to enter discharge chamber 20` to flow in the direction of the arrow. Husher tube 80 is connected with a tank outlet passage 80a in the discharge chamber 20 which is in direct, downstream communication with inlet passage 64 and forms a continuous path of ilow therewith. Water will flow past the inclined lsurface of dam separator 22 and will enter outlet 16 to the tank.

Referring to FIG. 1, when the water level 32 recedes sufciently, float valve 28 will return to its seat on outlet 30 by force of gravity and the tank refilling commences.

Referring to FIG. 2, outlet 16 is controlled as to the volume of water that will pass through; and, when this volume is exceeded, water will build up in pipe 80 until there is back flow over dam 22. It is seen that the dam separator 22 extends upwardly in chamber 20 above the level of downturned portion 82 of inlet passage 64. When the condition of back flow over darn 22 is achieved, water will then flow through pipe 65 to outlet 18 accomplishing a washing of the rirn of the toilet bowl.

Referring to FIG. l, when iloat valve 34 approaches the position shown therein and as better seen in FIG. 3, it will act through links 36, 40 and 42 to push slide valve 46 downwardly.

f Referring to FIG. 2, when slide valve 46 moves downwardly, the volume of water going past valve seat 48 decreases which, in turn, decreases the amount of water ow through chamber 74. As the water flow in the direction of the arrow in chamber 20 decreases, the setting of member 66 is such that the capacity of the water flow through apertures 68 is not exceeded, thereby stopping the water flow over dam separator 22. It is clear then that the water for washing the rim of a toilet bowl ceases while there is still flow through husher tube 16.

When float ball 34 reaches a predetermined level in tank 10, slide valve 46 is driven completely against valve seat 48 resulting in a stoppage of the water ow from inlet 13. Therefore, tank 10 is completely filled and the water flow is shut olf through valve means 12 and another cycle can be initiated at any time.

Another feature of the subject invention is the vacuum breaker means 17 which functions, for example, when water pressure in inlet 13 drops due to a leak in the water main. Water inlets to a home are usually lower than the water closet and, therefore, when a leak in the main occurs, the water will recede from pipe 56 leaving a negative pressure therein. As long as the toilet is not flushed, valve 46 remains on its seat and there is no problem. However, if the toilet is flushed, the cycle is initiated as previously described with float ball 34 falling causing slide valve to rise from its seat. When this occurs, the negative pressure in pipe 56 is transmitted past point 72 into chamber 74 and onward to chamber 20. When the toilet is hushed, the bowl iills up communicating outlet 18 and outlet 30 possibly through outlet 16 to chamber 74. But for flexible means 78, it is conceivable that contaminated water could be drawn reversely through the system and into water inlet 13 contaminating the other water lines in the house. However, this negative pressure in oat chamber 74 acts on flexible means 78 drawing it downwardly and opening outlets 76 to the atmosphere which serves to neutralize the negative pressure in the system. Therefore, the negative pressure is never actually communicated to outlets 18 and 16 preventing a contamination of the water in the house not used for toilet tlushing purposes.

In addition, certain prior art systems have used dams in an attempt to proportion rim wash water and tank reiill Water. However, in contrast to the darn 22 of the present invention, these systems did not contemplate that all of the water input to the system should go for the tank refill until a certain ow level was established but merely split the water input in a general fashion. Therefore, the present invention has the feature that only the excess of water needed to fill the tank will be used for rim washing. The height of dam 22 relative to portion 82 of the inlet to chamber 20 insures that no casual water goes over dam 22 until chamber 20 is filled which, in turn, is caused only by the incapacity of the tank refill outlet to discharge more water than needed to fill the tank at a desired rate.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute a preferred form, it is understood that other forms might be adopted.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Toilet flushing apparatus comprising: a housing having a ilow chamber defined therein; a supply passage for conducting high pressure water to said flow chamber; a discharge chamber in said housing having an inlet passage communicating with said llow chamber and extending from said ow chamber in the opposite direction from said supply passage; anti-siphon means operable to prevent the occurrence of negative pressure in said discharge chamber to thereby prevent back-siphonage between said discharge chamber and said flow chamber; a tank outlet passage in said discharge chamber in direct, downstream communication with said inlet passage and forming a continuous path of flow therewith; and a ri-m washing outlet passage in said housing having an inlet portion in communication with said discharge chamber and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to the direction of flow from said ow chamber through said inlet passage to receive backflow only from said discharge chamber. n

2. Toilet flushing apparatus as claimed m claim 1 further including a husher tube having one end mounted in said housing in communication with said tank outlet passage, and a rotatable member threadedly mounted on the other end of said husher tube, said rotatable member having an apertured end wall for retarding ow through said husher tube to provide backow in said discharge chamber to cause llow from said discharge chamber through said rim washing outlet passage.

3. Toilet flushing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said anti-Siphon means includes a cap forming a wall of said flow chamber and having vent openings formed therein, and a vacuum breaker valve element mounted in said flow chamber for slidable movement between the supply passage and said cap such that flow from said supply passage into said flow passage forces said valve element to close said vent openings and permit flow to said discharge chamber from said supply passage, and such that negative pressure in the supply passage urges the Valve element to uncover the vent openings and connect the discharge passage with atmospheric pressure.

4. Toilet flushing apparatus comprising: a supply pipe having one end securable to a supply of water under pressure; a ball cock housing having an inlet communieating with the other end of said supply pipe and an outlet; a ball cock valve slidably mounted in said ball cock housing for controlling ow between said inlet and outlet; a vacuum breaker housing having a flow chamber defined therein; a supply passage connected between said outlet and said flow chamber for conducting flow to said flow chamber, said supply passage having a portion extending upwardly into communication with said flow chamber; a discharge chamber in said vacuum breaker housing having an inlet passage communicating with said iiow chamber and extending downwardly lfrom said ow chamber; antisiphon means in said ow chamber operable to prevent the occurrence of negative pressure in said discharge chamber to thereby prevent back-siphon age between said discharge chamber and said flow charnber; a tank outlet passage in said discharge chamber in direct, downstream communication with said inlet pas sage; a husher tube having one end mounted in said vacuum breaker housing in communication with said tank outlet passage, a rotatable member threadedly mounted on the other end of said husher tube, said rotatable member having an apertured wall for retarding iow through said husher tube to provide backi'low in said discharge chamber; and a rim washing outlet passage in said vacuum breaker housing extending downwardly therefrom and having an inlet portion in communication with said discharge chamber and extending upwardly therefrom to receive backow only from said discharge chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,326 5/1928 Teahen 4--13 1,670,324 5/1928 Teahen 4-13 1,971,880 8/1934 Taylor 4-13 2,773,267 12/1956 Kohlmeyer 4--13 3,172,128 3/1965 Ducey 4-41 3,348,242 10/ 1967 Wilhelm 4-41 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 4--43 

